Hegel on Religion and Politics

Although scholars have written extensively on Hegel s treatment of religion and politics separately, much less has been written about the connections between the two in his thought. Religion in Hegel s philosophy occupies a difficult position relative to politics, existing both within the ethical and historical reality of the state and at the same time maintaining an absolute, transcendent identity. In addition, Hegel s views on the relationship between the two were often revised and refined over time in both his written works and his lectures. His thinking on the subject, however, provides a fascinating look at an element of his practical philosophy that was as controversial in his time as it is in ours. This book highlights various approaches to this intersection in Hegel s thought and evaluates its relevance to contemporary problems, considering issues such as religious pluralism and tolerance, conflicts between Islam and Christianity, and tensions between the secular and religious state.

Angelica Nuzzo is Professor of Philosophy at both the Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, City University of New York. She is the author of Ideal Embodiment: Kant’s Theory of Sensibility and Kant and the Unity of Reason, and editor of Hegel and the Analytic Tradition.